Norman Asbjornson on success
From Press conference: Norm Asbjornson's $50 million gift to engineering at Montana State University · · Montana State University
“I think those who are the most successful are also those who have failed the most because you don't get successful unless you reach far and try hard and when you reach far and try hard the likelihoods of failure are greatly magnified.”
On , Norman Asbjornson, Founder & Director at AAON INC, spoke about success during Press conference: Norm Asbjornson's $50 million gift to engineering at Montana State University on Montana State University.
About Norman Asbjornson
Norman Asbjornson, founder and director of AAON, committed $50 million to Montana State University’s College of Engineering in 2014. At a press conference announcing the gift, Asbjornson said he considered it a responsibility to give back to those who helped him succeed, including MSU and his hometown of Winifred, Montana. He placed stock in escrow to guarantee the donation and encouraged others to contribute to the university’s plans for an innovative, collaborative educational structure. Asbjornson also reflected on his career and personal philosophy. He described being recruited to lead a small Tulsa, Oklahoma company, which he grew into AAON, citing 25 consecutive years of 10.8% compounded growth. He attributed his success to lessons in honesty from his parents, emphasizing the importance of self-honesty and learning from failure. He noted that he considered being born in the United States a privilege and shared his view that those who are most successful have often failed the most.